The director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), HE Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer and the Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, HE Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, have completed an inspection tour of RTA’s cycling tracks and pedestrian crossing projects.
The RTA constructed cycling tracks extending 425km to link Dubai communities with various public transit means. The authority intends to extend the cycling tracks further to as much as 647km by 2025.
The officials also inspected the pedestrian bridge on King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Street at the Marina, which is the first four-way bridge built at the intersection of the King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Street with Al Gharbi Street nearby the JBR.
The bridge stretches 65 metres and supports approximately 8,000 people per hour in all directions.
The number of footbridges constructed in Dubai soared from 13 bridges in 2006 to 116 bridges in 2020. RTA plans to build other 34 pedestrian bridges during 2021-2026, which will bring the total number of pedestrian bridges to 150 bridges.
HE Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer and HE Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, have made an inspection tour of cycling tracks and pedestrian crossing projects currently undertaken by #RTA in #Dubai. pic.twitter.com/3EmEIYvUHB— RTA (@rta_dubai) August 26, 2020
Commenting on the completion of construction, Al Tayer said: “The construction of pedestrian bridges in Dubai is part of Dubai’s traffic safety strategy targeting a zero-fatality rate to rank Dubai amongst the world’s safest cities in traffic safety by 2021. RTA’s efforts to improve pedestrians’ safety contributed to reducing pedestrian fatalities by 76.5% between 2007 and 2019.
“RTA considers certain perimeters when determining the locations of pedestrian bridges in Dubai such as the intensity of traffic, pedestrian accidents and fatalities, speed limit, number of lanes, the movement of people between the two sides of the road, and the nearest pedestrian crossing and bus stops.
“The traffic studies also assign due consideration to run-over accidents hotspots and areas where entities and retailers are abundant.”
The construction of such infrastructure projects is a manifestation of the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to bring happiness to people and switch to a sustainable transport model characterised by minimal pollution to the environment.
The projects also respond to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, to make Dubai a bicycle-friendly city providing suitable mobility options that encourage people to practice cycling as a sport. The projects are also part of the Dubai Vision 2021, which aims to strengthen Dubai’s position as the world’s most preferred place to live, work, and visit
